Notes from Steve

We were in Minburn, Iowa on a ride on Saturday, and I was mindlessly yapping about turn signals* and empathy … I saw a TikTok saying that “use of a turn signal is the purest sign of an empathy.  Use of the signal doesn’t make your trip faster or benefit you directly - it just benefits those around you.  It’s largely about others.”  (If you want to get all “it’s the law on me” try this with returning the shopping cart back or letting someone with 2 items go ahead of you in the grocery store checkout when you have a full cart or just being kind because that’s who you are …)  It led to a discussion of “why do we do the things we do?”.  Is it because we’re programmed to do stuff, or because we have to, or is it because we are kind humans concerned about others’ welfare?

One of the goals I had for myself last year, and I accidentally said it out loud, was “I want to practice less empathy”.  (insert oops emoji -- hmm … “no Steve … more, not less”.) I read some of the comments on the TikTok blinker theory, and people were saying that they were getting tired of being nice and doing things with grace and integrity when it feels like they are the only ones practicing it.  I was thinking about how we say hi at Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics within five feet of each other and practice nice behavior.  I know it’s required, but now I sincerely believe that adding grace allows space for more.  I was thinking that the 5/10 originally was about us coming across as nice, and it was who we were as an organization.  In my business-minded mind - it felt like good marketing.  I don’t care about the marketing part of it anymore.  I wouldn’t want to be associated with a place that isn’t 100% about the welfare and well-being of everyone.  

Empathy is about connections, and connections are about relationships, and relationships with compassion and caring is what ISH is about.  Use your turn signal.
 
*the blinker theory